Barcelona back on top of La Liga as Lionel Messi hat-trick sees off Granada

Lionel Messi beats Granada’s goalkeeper Andrés Fernández on his way to a hat-trick for Barcelona. Photograph: Manu Fernandez/AP

Lionel Messi’s first hat trick of the season helped Barcelona beat Granada 4-0 and take the top spot in the Spanish league on Saturday. Messi scored twice within the first 15 minutes at the Camp Nou, and added his third in the second half asBarcelona cruised to victory. Neymar completed the scoring with seven minutes remaining .

The victory lifted Barcelona one point above Atlético Madrid, who play at fifth-place Celta Vigo on Sunday. Barcelona will have a game in hand after the 19th round this weekend. Third-placed Real Madrid trailed Barcelona by five points. Barcelona had drawn four of their last six matches but were coming off a 4-1 win over city rival Espanyol in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey.

“I’m very satisfied with how the team played today,” Barcelona’s coach, Luis Enrique, said. “Everybody was focused from the beginning. The players knew how important it was to win these three points.”

Barcelona dominated Granada, who were only 17th in the 20-team La Liga table. Messi and Neymar got the goals but Luis Suárez also played well and had chances to score. “We could have scored more,” Barcelona defender Aleix Vidal said. “But the main thing was to get the three points. We are back in the lead, now we’ll see what happens in the other matches.”

Messi found the net from close range after a pass from Arda Turan, then bagged his second six minutes later by striking an open net after a pass by Suárez. Messi completed his hat-trick after Neymar struck the post and the ball rebounded to the Argentinian inside the area for his ninth league goal of the season. It was Messi’s 33rd career hat-trick. He has a strong chance of winning a record fifth Ballon d’Or on Monday, from a shortlist which includes Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo. Neymar sealed Barcelona’s victory from close range, scoring his 15th league goal to tie Suárez as the competition’s leading scorer.

Dani Alves, who this week called the Spanish media “garbage” for the way it covers soccer, came off the bench in the second half and was loudly cheered by the Barcelona fans. The club initially condemned Alves’ comments, but late on Friday said it would give its support to the player in case a local association of sports media went ahead with its threat to sue the Brazilian right back.

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Lionel Messi set for Ballon d’Or but Neymar threatens the old duopoly

When Michael Owen won the Ballon d’Or in 2001, becoming the first and still the only Englishman to win European football’s player of the year award since Kevin Keegan, his manager had to take him aside and impress upon him just how important this was. “Gérard Houllier was surprised when he first told me,” Owen admitted. “I think he was a bit put out by me not punching the air and going hysterical. He was saying: ‘Do you realise what this means?’”

Had Owen seen what was going on in Spain, he would have done: in Madrid they were loudly decrying the injustice of it all, the cheek of this Englishman who had taken what was “rightfully” Raúl’s. They still do, in fact. Here it was an obsession, front page almost daily. “It’s a massive thing but it’s not big in England,” Owen said. “In England, it gets a little column on the back page telling you who has won it, if you’re lucky.”

Fifteen years on, things have changed. There are still around 900 words to go in this column, for a start. Presented by James Nesbitt, Monday night’s gala – at which there will also be a presidential award but no president – will be shown live by Sky and Eurosport. Some people might even watch it; they’ll certainly argue over it. It is hard to imagine an English winner these days only admitting some time after the event, as Owen did: “Since then, I’ve realised what it means. It’s one of the best individual awards.” Since then? One of them?

It is hard to imagine an English winner at all, of course, and this still feels like a Spanish thing – even if, like La Liga, it attracts greater attention than ever before. Football interest has become internationalised and the Champions League has made Europeans of the English, even if the EU has not. For the past six years the winner has been someone playing in Spain. This year’s winner will be a player from La Liga, too: Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo orNeymar.

The truth is that “Spain” is probably too broad a category here. Since 1997 only two winners of the Ballon d’Or – Pavel Nedved and Andriy Shevchenko – have not either been playing in Spain or ended up playing there. In every case, their club was Real Madrid or Barcelona. And over the past seven years, the category could be reduced again. Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have finished first and second every year for four years and in six of the past seven years, albeit in 2008 Ronaldo was still at Manchester United.

Ronaldo in 2008, followed by Messi for the next four years, then Ronaldo again in 2013 and 2014: these men have dominated an era like none before, the Madrid-Barça rivalry expressed through its two greatest players, with the golden ball acting as some kind of ultimate arbiter. Not that it is an unchallenged one; complaints and conspiracy theories still abound.

If there are echoes of Juanma Lillo’s comment about the garnish eating the steak – brilliant performances in decisive games and trophies won presented as evidence towards a Ballon d’Or candidacy as much as an end in themselves, and players elevated over teams – it is still an extraordinary run from two players to be celebrated, if only people could stop getting so angry about them.

There is a chance that on Monday the run will be broken, though. Perhaps even for good. This year it seemed possible that the three candidates might not just come from the same country but, like in 2010, from the same club. That year, Spain’s World Cup win brought Andrés Iniesta and Xavi to the podium alongside Messi; this year, Barcelona’s treble might have also elevated Neymar and Luis Suárez – all the more so if the award is judged on 2015, the calendar year, not just the last season.

 Lionel Messi and Neymar, alongside Luis Suárez who did not make the shortlist, inspired a dominant year for Barcelona. Photograph: Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty Images

Between them, Messi, Neymar and Suárez won it all and scored 180 goals in 2015, more than any forward line has ever scored and the spread was remarkably even, the contributions consistent from all three men in a historic 12 months.

In the end, Suárez did not make it. Rarely can so strong a candidate have been left out, a treble winner with a goal in the European Cup final, five goals in two games to take Barcelona to the Club World Cup, currently top scorer in La Liga. But, unlike in the Uefa award where he made the top three, Ronaldo and Neymar are included ahead of him. It is no terrible injustice, just a measure of how good the field is.

There may be an element of inertia there, the one-two of this era an automatic choice, a sense that voting for Ronaldo is just what you do; that the only doubt in any world player list is, by definition, the third man – and that there the choice is Suárez or Neymar but not both. There will be a recognition that it is hardly Ronaldo’s fault that his team has won nothing. If 2015 has been difficult, the fact that it is possible to talk of “decline” for a player who scored more than 50 goals for a fifth consecutive year shows how absurdly high he sets the bar. His “decline” is pretty much every other player’s dream.

Football quiz: Ballon d'Or winners

Even after a campaign that ended empty-handed it is natural that most believe that the man who won the last two awards still stands above all except Messi, but that assumption perhaps faces its firmest challenge for years in Zurich and the next question may be if it is simply a one-off. Neymar makes a strong case – and at 23, he will make more. Ronaldo turns 31 next month, has fought pain in his knee, and questions about his future will not go away, so it is natural that some ask if this year may be the last time that he and Messi stand one and two, the end of a certainty that’s marked almost a decade.

If Ronaldo was to finish outside the top two, it would be the first time in five years. More likely is that he will finish second and, as ever, will be far from satisfied with that – that the ambition that defines him will remain undimmed, determined to return and regain the trophy he made his own for the last two years, overthrowing Messi again, as he did when he ended the Argentinian’s unique four-year run. But that there is even a doubt is significant. For second place, that is. When it comes to first, occupied by Ronaldo two years running, the only doubt is what suit Messi will wear.

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Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez fire Barcelona to Club World Cup title

A goal from Lionel Messi and a double from Luis Suárez helped Barcelona to beat River Plate 3-0 in Yokohama and win the Club World Cup, the club’s fifth trophy of 2015.

Messi opened the scoring 10 minutes before the end of a difficult first half forBarcelona, who were tested by River’s intensity, but the European champions struck again early in the second period through Suárez and the Uruguayan sealed their third world title by heading home a cross from Neymar.

Barcelona 3-0 River Plate: Club World Cup final –as it happened
Barcelona ended a stellar year by being crowned world club champions after another fine display from Luis Suárez, who scored twice in Yokohama

Barcelona become the first team to win the trophy three times, surpassing the two titles won by Corinthians, while Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Dani Alves, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique are now the only players to collect three winners’ medals.

This was the perfect way for Barça to end an excellent year in which they had already collected the league title, Champions League, Copa del Rey and Uefa Super Cup, with the only trophy they failed to win being the Spanish Super Cup.

The River manager, Marcelo Gallardo, admitted his side would have to play “a perfect game on every level” if they were to win, adding “Barcelona have the best players, but we have huge hearts”.

The Argentinian club, who qualified for the tournament by winning the Copa Libertadores, brought 16,000 fans from Buenos Aires to Tokyo. On Saturday an estimated 10,000 supporters attended a mass rally in Yoyogi park, creating a carnival atmosphere in the city but when it came to Sunday’s game Barcelona made their quality show.

Neymar and Messi were back in the starting lineup after missing the semi-final win over Guangzhou Evergrande, the Brazilian recovering from a groin strain while the Argentinian had overcome abdominal pains.

Their returns allowed Luis Enrique to field the same team as in the Champions League final against Juventus, with the exception of Claudio Bravo starting in goal over Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Gallardo made only one change to the team who beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-0, bringing in Tabare Viudez for Leonardo Pisculichi.

River’s tactics were to press Barça high up the pitch to disrupt their passing game and stifle creation. It worked for a large part of the first half, even if they had to resort to frequent tactical fouling.

In spite of the shackles imposed on them, Barça created a couple of openings. Messi took down a ball from Iniesta superbly to half-volley at Marcelo Barovero, and a tame shot from Alves following a Neymar cross from the left, which the goalkeeper also gathered. River’s few chances came from set pieces and distance shots from Rodrigo Mora and Lucas Alario, both which went straight at Bravo.

Messi also tried a free-kick which Barovero tipped around the post but it would not be long before the striker found a way through.

Jordi Alba won the ball back in River’s half and Barça broke quickly, Messi playing in Alves, who floated a ball into the area from the right and Neymar rose to head it down towards Messi, who controlled it before hooking a right-footed shot just beyond the reach of Barovero. The Barcelona substitutes raced out of the dugout to join Luis Enrique’s wild celebrations, such was the importance of the goal, but replays showed Messi may have controlled the ball with his right hand before shooting.

The goal sapped River’s confidence and Barça could have scored again before the break, Messi releasing Suárez with a curled pass from the right wing, but the Uruguayan fired the wrong side of the near post.

Gallardo made a double substitution at half-time, bringing on Lucho González and Gonzalo Martínez for the booked Leonardo Ponzio and ineffective Mora. But the new players were on the pitch for only four minutes before Barça struck again. This time the high press was River’s undoing, as Busquets spotted a gap in the defensive line and Suárez ran into it, controlling and sliding the ball under the legs of Barovero.

Barça pushed for a third goal and, although Messi squandered a chance to add to his earlier effort, Suárez took his opportunity to do the same, glancing Neymar’s cross into the far corner. The Uruguayan took the prize for the tournament’s top scorer, his double adding to his hat-trick against Guangzhou.

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Barcelona hoping Lionel Messi will be in squad for clásico against Real Madrid

Lionel Messi could be a potent weapon to introduce from the bench should Barcelona be struggling against Real Madrid. Photograph: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Barcelona are hopeful that Lionel Messi will be fit enough to be included in the squad for the coming clásico against Real Madrid.

According to AS, the Argentinian talisman is not expected to start the game but the coach Luis Enrique will be looking to introduce him from the bench as he didagainst Atlético Madrid in September when Barcelona were drawing 1-1 but went on to win 2-1 through Messi’s late winner.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi out for up to eight weeks with knee injury

The striker suffered knee ligament damage against Las Palmas on 28 September and has not played since although he is said to be running and kicking a ball again in training.

In his absence his team-mate Neymar has risen to the occasion, leading the line and scoring 10 goals in eight games with Barça suffering just one defeat, to Sevilla.

Neymar is likely to come up against the Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos who is hoping to postpone an operation on his damaged shoulder until after the match on 21 November.

The centre-back underwent tests at a Madrid hospital on an injury originally suffered against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League in September and has since been playing with pain-killing injections.

However, he has already missed six games since then and was ruled out of Spain’s friendlies against England and Belgium.

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Lionel Messi surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo as the best footballer in the world

Lionel Messi was the top choice to be the No1 player of the year from 74% of the Guardian’s judges. Photograph: Gustau Nacarino/Reuters

We’ve been making a list. We’ve checked it twice. We’re trying to find out what [insert name of favourite/most pointlessly disliked player] is doing [down/up] there in yet another example of [pro/anti] [name of club] bias.

Yes, it’s that time again. Once again the Guardian’s panel of judges has culled the longlist, consulted its network of contacts, pored over the stats, done some random googling and after an exhaustive voting procedure compiled its list of the top 100 footballers in the world.

In keeping with the spirit of the granddaddy of them all, France Football’s original pre-Fifa award, our panel of 123 judges from 49 countries cast their votes in a secret ballot, taking into account only form and achievements over the last year. At the end of which we have a new No1, a fascinatingly mobile field full of new entries, bolters and tumbling stocks, and a very clear indication of where the power base lies currently in both club and international football.

The 100 best footballers in the world 2015 – interactive

First the headline news. Lionel Messi is reinstalled as the scampering little twinkle-toed inside-forward at the top of the Guardian tree, moving up one space from No2 in 2014and doing so with an extraordinary swing of the vote, 74% of our judges giving him top spot. Understandably so too. After a disappointing World Cup and a sense that injury and weariness had taken its toll, Messi’s 2014-15 season was both a genuine, through-the-roof return to form, and evidence of his ability to adapt to a slightly different but equally devastating role as a mature creative footballer in a team overloaded at its front end with attacking talent.

Unsurprisingly, for the first time the No1 player is joined in the top four by two men playing almost the same position for the same club, as the supreme achievements of Barcelona’s wonder-trident leaves Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar all clustered around the peak.

Predictably it is Cristiano Ronaldo, last year’s winner and this year’s No2, who manages to split them, although only narrowly on the voting. Neymar, with three trophies in the year, a goal in the Champions League final and a highlights reel of sublime, frictionless creativity might wonder exactly what he has to do to edge ahead of the world’s most famous footballer. Just wait, perhaps: Neymar is, after all, the only player in the top 10 under the age of 24, a symptom of a slight ossification at the top of the list.

How the Guardian ranked the 2015 world’s top 100 footballers

This year the world’s best players have largely remained the world’s best players, tribute both to their sustained consistency and the tendency for talent, now more then ever to cluster at and clog the richest clubs, a self-supporting oligopoly where the best play with the best, parcel the titles out among them, and preserve their own elite longevity.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s feat in remaining a supreme striker at the age of 34 – the oldest member of the top 20 in this year’s poll – is only slightly shaded by the fact a boundlessly wealthy PSG team have won the domestic league by a street the last three seasons and are way ahead already this term.

As ever there is a different kind of fascination with the lower reaches of the top 100, with plenty of intriguing new entries. A year and half ago Riyad Mahrez was playing in Ligue 2 with Le Havre. This year he has been voted the 97th best player in the world, swirling about with a mix of new entries and heavy fallers, most dramatically Mario Götze, king of the world last year who falls from 24 to 80. Continuing the Leicester-gatecrash theme Jamie Vardy is a new entry at 68, reward for a sensational domestic goalscoring run and a thrilling year in the Premier League.

How our judges voted: the complete statistics behind our list of the world's best footballers

The curiosities keep coming. Anthony Martial and Raheem Sterling are a Premier League reality check at 66 and 62: close to £100m of talent (new TV deal prices) but with a position on this list more commensurate with their youth and progress. Above them Philippe Coutinho at 46 and Harry Kane – by far the most buoyant Englishman on this list – are significant new entries. Kane scored his first Premier League goal in November last year. This year he’s one place above Ángel Di María, a situation only a particularly pumped Tim Sherwood, or perhaps Chas & Dave, might have predicted last Christmas.

After which we’re into the fine-margins scrap for the top 30. Mesut Özil, the Premier League’s assist king, top No10 and general strolling princeling, is a slightly jarring entry at 26, Kevin De Bruyne a sensational highest new entry at No14, tribute to a storming half-season at Wolfsburg and a decent start at Manchester City. Paul Pogba, the youngest player in the top 50, is a purposeful climber, up 20 to 11. Robert Lewandowski comes closest to storming the bastille and forcing his way in among the established powers with a 25-place rise to fifth.

To nobody’s great surprise it was another thin year for the English, with four players overall and just one – the mercurial Kane – in the top 50. Spain were the most prominent again, with 16 La Liga players included overall, joint top with the Premier League.Bayern Munich once again topped the club rankings with 12 players here, ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona on 11.

It is a concentration of power that stretches beyond simply club ties. The entire football-centric continent of Africa, population 1.1 billion, has just five players in the top 100, one more than Belgium. Indeed it is remarkable in itself that it should seem so unremarkable that only Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo, Hulk and Alex Teixeira in the top 90 here play outside the main European leagues in England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy.

Not that this financial stratification seems to have diluted, just yet, the quality on show. If this year’s top 100 serves any wider purpose it is simply to emphasise once again the enduring appeal of a sport that can still produce a list so crammed from peaks to foothills with pure, unsullied individual talent.

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